National Cross-Country Championships
The blue riband event of the domestic cross country season, the National Cross Country Championships were held last Sunday at the National Sports Campus, Abbottstown, in Dublin. Over 1,500 athletes competed across the ten event programme, with the Juvenile athletes racing at U12,14, 16 and 18 level, and the Men’s and Ladies Junior and Senior races on the adult schedule. Once again Galway athletes and teams came away with great success on what was a true and testing course and a hugely competitive occasion.
In the Juvenile races, Craughwell AC U12 Boys team were hugely impressive as they won bronze medals in a very competitive field. Individually, Oisin Maher of GCH ran a storming race, to place ninth overall in the U12 Boys race. Mathys Bocquet showed his class as he finished a fine fifth overall finish in the U14 Boys race for Craughwell AC, and Gearoid King of Castlegar AC was another who impressed with a tenth-place finish in the same race. Sean Cotter of Craughwell AC also excelled, placing sixth overall in the U18 Boys race
In the Junior Men’s race, GCH Junior athlete Thomas McStay had the race of his life, winning National bronze over the muddy 6km race distance, behind winner Darragh McIlhenny of UCD and Moy Valley’s Keelan Kilreehil. McStay ran a tactically perfect race, running with the leaders for the bulk of the four laps, and then moved into the bronze position early on the last lap,from where he closed strongly to claim a well-deserved individual medal. The GCH Junior Men’s team (pictured) impressed, and led by McStay,placed fourth overall, with Jack Maher, Rian De Bairead and Barry Murphy the scorers.
Galway County Junior men’s team went one better , winning National bronze in the county competition, via the squad of McStay, William Fitzgerald of Craughwell AC, Maher, De Bairead, Murphy, and Patrick Noonan of Craughwell AC, in a great combined performance which showcased the current strong group of Junior athletes in the county.
Damien Landers, competing for the Galway
County team, ran a superb race to place sixth overall in the grand finale of
the day, the Men’s Senior race over 10km, on what was by now a truly demanding cross
country course. Landers top six finish puts him in contention for a European
selection for the upcoming European Cross Country championships in Lisbon,
Portugal.
Galway Senior Men’s team placed eighth with the county team scorers being Damien Landers, John Moroney and Eanna Folan of GCH, Mark Davis of Craughwell, Vinnie McGuinness of Crusaders and GCH athlete Naoise O'Gibne. Caron Ryan of Craughwell AC placed 10th in the U23 section in the Ladies race over 8km, while in the Junior Women’s, Aine O Farrell was a fine 14th place overall for Athenry AC.
